The God and the Little Bird
by bunnylover94
Summary: Akito cares for no one, and no one cares for him. He doesn't care, not really, what he desires is what they all take for granted: freedom. Especially, that Tohru Honda. Is it possible for the Sohma God to care for an tiny fluttering bird? AU. I own nothing.


The God and the Little Bird

The gray clouds passed the blinding, pest of the Sun, and a relief washed through the veins of the head of the Sohma House. A cough escaped from his lips, and his eyelids closed for a second. Then his eyelids reopened and the light pierced his eyes. The glow swirled around in a mix of orange and yellow. The head of the Sohma household gagged at the picturesque window view he forced himself to gaze at daily. A deep cleanse had wafted all amusement and anger from his veins, one that had sent him shackled to his bed for almost two weeks. Akito forced his gaze out the parted window where his kimono sleeve draped over the pane. His eyes were removed from any emotion. A knock resounded from the thin door.

His eyes narrowed and darkened at the obnoxious interruption. But…he was the head and he at least had to see what the matter was, before he dismissed them entirely.

"Enter," he commanded.

The door slid apart to reveal a wrinkled woman with deep black bags that gleamed like smooth skipping stones. Her lips quivered and her hands trembled. Akito-sama enjoyed her trepidation with his half-acknowledgement of his dark and intimidating stare. He permitted the inaudible tension to waft into the atmosphere. He glowered at her with a flashing warning that danced in his eyes.

The old maid bowed to him and then greeted him with, "Akito-sama, a girl is here to see you."

Akito-sama normally never permitted a maid to forget who the visitor was, what they wanted and why they were really here at the main house. His domain. Not theirs. One of his arrogant female cousins who swooped in to declare their rebellious declarations against him. One particular female pranced in his mind, but he had other things to speculate. More important things…

Perhaps it was his stupid cousin Ritsu. He did love to dress in women's clothes, although it was unfitting for the family's overall image. It did work to protect the Sohma family secret. Which Akito approved of.

It couldn't be him of course, otherwise he would be in here bowing and spluttering out infinite apologies. That jittery monkey annoyed him to no end. And he would definitely refuse to see that damn primate.

It could be one of the few worried and present mothers of the zodiac.

Or one of his cousins' many whores who trounced in his quarters and expected him to give them his permission for them to wed a member of his family. They acted so agreeable, sweet beauties who batted their eyelashes and then uttered sweet phrases so they could obtain the object of their affections. Those women thought they were so clever. But they never fooled him. They were so obvious. They desperately wanted to be the destined one to eradicate the curse from their beloved. They clung to the illusion that danced around in their minds, and then they fell down hard.

It was a satisfying game for him, but not for his family. What did they expect? A happy ending with a sweet wedding and a true love that endured forever. He had to show them that any outsider was not worthy of them or ridding their curse. When would they learn? They were born with this putrid entity and then they would die with the damn thing.

Akito's gaze darkened. "Tell her to go. I'm in no mood for visitors."

The old maid hesitated.

Akito's eyes refocused on her with a sharpened gaze that dug into her ancient, crinkly skin. Her lips parted out a soft hiss, which sparked a heat through Akito-sama's veins.

"What?" Akito demanded.

The old man flinched, despite her best efforts to hide her returning fear.

"She's…rather insistent, sir," she said with a slight whimper.

Akito paused and retracted his hand from the window pane. Who was this mysterious pest? Who thought to disturb him without any consequences? He was Akito Sohma. No one dared to commit to a suicidal decision.

"Describe her," he directed.

A small smile traced through the old maid's lip creases. A warmth that Akito never inspired in her. Ever. He frowned at the old maid.

"She's adorable and very polite," she said.

So…not related to him. The woman would have simply informed him of the name, instead of wasting his time with ridiculous riddles. Then who was…

His lips flattened and his eyelids shut. That…girl. Tohru Honda. That stupid girl was here. Probably to beg for him to provide her with help to her precious Kyo. Or Yuki. Or that damn useless mutt Shigure.

"Akito-sama…" started the old woman.

He faced the old maid. He cleared his throat.

"Send her in," he ordered.

She bowed before she departed and gently closed the sliding door.

He looked down at his bare, bony chest. A frown deepened and a piercing spike assaulted him. His shoulders drooped.

He glanced at the chirpy bird who skipped across the wooden landing. It tilted its' tiny bulb-looking head at Akito. It then turned away from him and then flapped into the sudden gust that combed through his hair.

That girl was like one of his birds. The tiny little whimsical flighty creatures who loved to hop along the fences, tree branches, and the window sills.

He admired those birds, but he envied them. They could fly away from their surroundings. No chains or curses pulled them back down. They glided through the sky without a care or miserable physical ailments.

Akito Sohma admired the dimwitted girl, although he would never admit that to _anyone_.

She could leave…

…And never come back.

Akito's lips contorted in an irritated curl. His teeth bared. His eyes danced with unfathomable hatred and irritation at the girl's disrespectful intrusion.

She never was his. Akito preferred it that way. She was the treasured Sohma pet. The girl who smiled-

Tohru Honda was a mutt who wagged her tail at the slightest attention his family gave to her. Attention was apparently all that stupid girl cared for.

Still, he glanced at his slim and shaking hands.

Tohru Honda ambled into his room. He turned away and permitted his bare chest open to her. His shoulders tightened and his jaws clenched.

"Hello Akito-sama," greeted Tohru with a bright smile.

Akito's eyes roamed over that twit of a girl.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything."  
Akito's eyes narrowed into slits. Tohru's giant luminous eyes beamed at him with no hint of hatred, deception or judgement.

"What do you want?" he demanded.

Normally Akito Sohma played with his guests. He loved to stir reactions in them. Rage, sorrow, contempt allowed to reveal how people really were under stressful situations. Any other time, people portrayed a version of themselves; a personality that provided them with whatever they wanted.

There was nothing sacred left for him. His family's curse took everything from him…And yet his family continued demanding more from him. He was their eternal genie locked away in bands bound to them. His freedom never to be provided or permitted by anyone. He was trapped in this damn sickly vessel of his. Entombed within a slow rotting corpse and terrible lack of traveling crippled his pride whenever he stood before any of his visitors. He may have all the power, the money, the honor, but they had the one thing he craved: freedom.

That twit who stood before him had it in spades.

Tohru blinked. "Nothing."

Lies, he thought with vibrating hands. Everyone wanted something from him. Why else would they even bother to visit him? He wasn't a good man. He wasn't even the best head of the Sohma family. His father…

Akito's neck snapped over to the oblivious girl.

"Do you think I'm blind?" asked Akito.

Tohru's eyes widened in shock and then she shook her head like a dog after when they were saturated in soapy suds, and the hose assaulted them; and eradicated the cleaning solution.

"No. No. I don't think that at all. I just thought I would come by and see how you were doing. And I-" she rambled.

"You came to see if I'm about to die," he said.

"No I-" Tohru started while furiously shaking her head.

"You want to see if the Sohma God has left the Earth," he countered.

"No, no not at all," she said with the lifted musical inflection in her voice.

"Liar," he roared.

Her eyes widened and her face etched in disbelief.

"You…" Akito started but then his throat clenched.

A rough spike struck his lungs and a clang resounded in his chest. He crumpled to the ground.

"Akito-sama," shouted a worried Tohru.

Akito attempted to push her away, but once her hands touched him through his robe, he leaned into her. Hacking and shaking as his lungs battled out the strangle hold on him.

He noted that Hatori arrived as Tohru soothe him with her gentle touch. His stare collided with Tohru's as his eyelids shut. He then slipped into a comforting yet frightening darkness.

His eye's fluttered open and he sat up on his sleeping mat. The ceiling swirled around, before a sweet light lit beside him. He flinched at the light's abrupt appearance. A thin dimwitted girl invaded his line of sight. Her eyes clouded in worry.

"Are you better Akito-sama?" Tohru gently asked.

He glared at her. "Why are you _here_?" he demanded.

"I couldn't leave, before I knew you were alright, Akito-sama."

He coughed in a violent splutter that caused him to curl his body into his chest for a moment.

She jerked up. "Are you alright? Do you need water?"

She then started moving her head from side to side, which reminded Akito-sama of one of the many birds who danced in his trees. She was…ridiculous.

His coughing halted and he straightened his back. His damn body may have refused to cooperate with him, but he wouldn't lose all his pride in front of this damn fluttery creature.

His dark gaze intensified. "I'm fine. I don't need your stupid apologies."

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Don't apologize. It's annoying."

"Right," she agreed.

"You can go now," he clipped.

"As you wish, Akito-sama," she said as she bowed beneath him.

Akito blinked and watched as that hair, he had once pulled, pooled across his lap. She…didn't even attempt to ask him something, which was refreshing.

She then rose and smiled at him as she ran to the sliding door. Her smooth hair flew behind her as she drifted away.

What a little bird she was, thought the Sohma God.


End file.
